


Fresh Fall ❄ Jack Frost

by akabanechey



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-09
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2019-10-10 01:42:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17416574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akabanechey/pseuds/akabanechey
Summary: "Be like snow: beautiful but cold."Eira is the daughter of Jamie Bennett, the boy who helped the Guardians save the world from Pitch decades ago. She is dying due to an unknown disease, and her body is beginning to slowly give up on her.Now, two decades on, the Guardians are drawn back to Burgess - the town where it all began - when Jack Frost hears the cries of a young girl. Arriving there, he is startled to find Jamie with a wife and a daughter - Eira.© Chey Eveleigh / MultifandxmSociety | December 2018





	1. Spotify Playlist

𝕤𝕙𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕞𝕖 - 𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕤𝕖𝕪 𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕣𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 _ **  
**_❝ _If only the clockworks could speak_  
I wouldn't be so alone  
We burn every magnet and spring  
And spiral into the unknown❞

𝕞𝕒𝕕 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕 - 𝕜𝕛 𝕒𝕡𝕒, 𝕔𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕒 𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕤, 𝕝𝕚𝕝𝕚 𝕣𝕖𝕚𝕟𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕥 _ **  
**_❝ _Children waiting for the day they feel good_  
Happy birthday, happy birthday  
And I feel the way that every child should  
Sit and listen, sit and listen❞

𝕨𝕒𝕝𝕜 𝕥𝕙𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖 - 𝕫𝕒𝕕𝕖 𝕨ø𝕝𝕗 𝕗𝕥. 𝕣𝕦𝕖𝕝𝕝𝕖 _ **  
**_❝ _I try to understand_  
How we're here again  
In the middle of the storm  
In the middle of the storm  
There's nowhere to go❞

𝕒𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕝 - 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕠𝕣𝕪 𝕠𝕗 𝕒 𝕕𝕖𝕒𝕕𝕞𝕒𝕟 _ **  
**_❝ _Maybe I'm crazy, maybe I'm weak_  
Maybe I'm blinded by what I see  
You wanted a soldier but it wasn't me  
'Cause I could never set you free  
So fly on your own  
It's time I let you go❞

𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕖𝕧𝕒𝕣𝕕 𝕠𝕗 𝕓𝕣𝕠𝕜𝕖𝕟 𝕕𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕞𝕤 - 𝕘𝕣𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕕𝕒𝕪 _ **  
**_❝ _My shadow's the only one that walks beside me_  
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating  
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me  
Till then I walk alone❞

𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕥𝕝𝕖 𝕕𝕠 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨 - 𝕒𝕝𝕖𝕩 & 𝕤𝕚𝕖𝕣𝕣𝕒 ** _  
_**❝ _The love you see right here stays so lay your head on me_  
Little do you know  
I know you're hurt while I'm sound asleep  
Little do you know  
All my mistakes are slowly drowning me  
Little do you know  
I'm trying to make it better piece by piece  
Little do you know  
I, I love you till the sun dies❞

𝕙𝕠𝕝𝕕 𝕓𝕒𝕔𝕜 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕣𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕣 - 𝕛𝕒𝕞𝕖𝕤 𝕓𝕒𝕪 ** _  
_**❝ _Lonely water, lonely water, won't you let us wander_  
Let us hold each other  
Hold back the river, let me look in your eyes  
Hold back the river, so I  
Can stop for a minute and be by your side  
Hold back the river, hold back❞

𝕥𝕒𝕜𝕖 𝕞𝕖 𝕥𝕠 𝕔𝕙𝕦𝕣𝕔𝕙 - 𝕙𝕠𝕫𝕚𝕖𝕣 ** _  
_**❝ _No masters or kings when the ritual begins_  
There is no sweeter innocence than our gentle sin  
In the madness and soil of that sad earthly scene  
Only then I am human  
Only then I am clean❞

𝕗𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕤𝕠𝕟𝕘 - 𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕙𝕖𝕝 𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕟 ** _  
_**❝ _This is my fight song_  
Take back my life song  
Prove I'm alright song  
My power's turned on  
Starting right now I'll be strong (I'll be strong)  
I'll play my fight song  
And I don't really care if nobody else believes  
'Cause I've still got a lot of fight left in me❞

𝕡𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕖𝕚𝕚 - 𝕓𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕖 ** _  
_**❝ _But if you close your eyes_  
Does it almost feel like  
Nothing changed at all?  
And if you close your eyes  
Does it almost feel like  
You've been here before?  
Nothing changed at all❞

𝕧𝕚𝕧𝕒 𝕝𝕒 𝕧𝕚𝕕𝕒 - 𝕔𝕠𝕝𝕕𝕡𝕝𝕒𝕪 _ **  
**_❝ _It was a wicked and wild wind_  
Blew down the doors to let me in  
Shattered windows and the sound of drums  
People couldn't believe what I'd become  
Revolutionaries wait  
For my head on a silver plate  
Just a puppet on a lonely string  
Oh, who would ever want to be king?❞


	2. Chapter 01 ❄ Harsh Truth

There's an unnerving sound resonating in his ears, a high-pitched wailing almost, and it's been going on for days now, the beginnings of irritation starting to formulate in the Guardian's mind. Huffing in annoyance, the white haired teen stands and walks out of the small cave he has called home for the past two decades in the South Pole - far enough away from North, Tooth and Bunny that he doesn't get irritated. He doesn't mind Sandy, but the smaller Guardian can get slightly annoying at times.

Years have passed like mere days for Jack since he joined the Guardians, but his memories of his first believer remain. He knows that Jamie must be older by now, and that he must have a family of his own - the family that Jack used to have, but no longer has. Jack, for a moment, wonders whether or not the human still believes in him, as well as the other Guardians, but soon forces the thought from his mind and stares up at the clear blue skies above, the crying still echoing in his ears.

Moments later, he flies up into the air and propels himself toward North's home - the best place to figure out what is going on. Landing in front of the golden globe, his icy blue eyes scan over the shimmering sphere in a desperate attempt to find the source of the misery. Groaning in frustration, Jack hits his wooden staff against the marble floor, causing ice to erupt from its end and move to cover the globe. Eyes wide with a mixture of horror, shock and disbelief, he watches as the ice moves to a small little circle near Burgess - the source of everything surrounding him.

"Jack Frost," North cheers in his thick accent, making the teen wince as he is pulled into a near bone-crushing hug. "I wasn't expectin' ya! Somethin' the matter?"

"Nah. Just figured it out," Jack assures warily, forcing himself out of the bigger man's hold. "Sorry to intrude and all, but I best be going if I'm going to fix this."

"What's goin' on?"

The white-haired boy sighs. "I've been hearing a child crying for the past couple of days, and it's starting to get on my nerves."

"A child cryin'?" the burly man asks incredulously, eyes widening. "Jack, you know what this means, don't ya? It's ya first believer's child, an' somethin' must be wrong - seriously wrong - for ya ta be hearin' them cryin'. Ya need ta go check it out."

"Yeah, yeah. I got it, big guy. Be seeing you."

Hovering as he waves his goodbye to North, Jack gives the golden globe one last glance before flying out through the small opening in the roof, his blue eyes silently imploring the Moon to make this journey worthwhile. Manipulating the wind, he flies to Burgess, flipping and twirling in the air, smiling down at the snow covered town as it comes into view. He lands on the frozen pond and slides before landing on the compact snow with a chuckle.

The sound of rapid footsteps pulls the old teenager out of his personal fun, and he jumps to his feet, clutching his staff in both hands, eyes flickering around the area in search of the oncoming possible threat. Out of the trees runs a middle-aged man with wide brown eyes and wild, untamed brown hair, a giant grin on his face when he sees Jack. Jack himself straightens and looks at the physically older man with shock when he realises exactly who it is.

"Jack Frost," Jamie breathes in delight, brown eyes alight with relief and happiness. "I thought you'd never come back here. Well, I mean, I knew you'd come back, but I thought I'd never see you again."

"Yeah, well, it's hard to stay away," Jack chuckles, leaning against his staff. "Anyway, you got old, Jamie."

"And you haven't changed a bit. Come, there are some people I'd like you to meet."

"Uh, Jamie. You do know they won't be able to see me right?"

The brunet merely grins at his childhood friend and walks away, leaving Jack to scramble after him, yelling his concerns at Jamie. The white haired teen runs across the road, unafraid of being hit, and stares at the people in the cars with shock as they stop instead of driving right through him as per usual. They smile and wave, amusement glowing in their eyes at Jack's shocked expression. His mind whirls with confusion as everyone that he and Jamie pass in the streets waves and smiles at him, small exclamations of excitement leaving the children.

Jamie stops in front of his childhood home and looks back at Jack Frost, smiling and opening the door, motioning for the bewildered immortal to enter. He does so, and is met by the tantalising scent of a roast dinner being made. Jack follows the smell and ends up in the kitchen, looking at the back of a humming woman, his mind flashing back to images of his childhood with his mother cooking dinner for him and his sister. Turning around, he's met with a pair of bright green eyes and a cheery smile spread across her painted lips.

"Jack Frost, I never thought I'd see the day when you'd be in our home," Pippa greets, clasping her hands together in front of her chest. "It's been a while, hasn't it, Jack?"

Jack frowns, slowly walking over to her, eyes widening as he recognises her. "Wait. You're one of Jamie's friends. You helped us defeat Pitch."

"Mmhmm. My name's Pippa. It's nice to finally meet you. Although, I am curious as to why you have returned after so long away."

"I've been hearing a child crying for a while, and, according to North, it has something to do with Jamie."

The brunet male raises his hands in surrender as both Pippa and Jack turn to look at him. "Don't go looking at me. I haven't done anything."

Jack shakes his head. "No, it's not you directly - it's something to do with your child."

Jamie and Pippa share a worried look before sighing simultaneously. The former motions for the immortal to follow him once again, and Jack does so, following his first believer up the stairs and into Sophie's old bedroom. Motionless on the bed is a young girl, and Jack instantly rushes over to her, following the pull, hand hovering over her skin. Jamie leans against the door frame and watches the array of expressions that wash over Jack's face, with a despairing look on his own.

Her skin is as pale and as cold as the freshly strewn snow outside; her chestnut brown hair is brittle and lost all it's shine; and her breathing is shallow, her heartbeat faint. Jack can't help but associate her with his little sister from centuries ago, and feels despair growing inside him at the appearance of the dying girl laying on the bed before his eyes. Looking over at Jamie, his icy blue eyes are covered with a sheen of tears, and filled with misery.

"What's wrong with her?" Jack asks haltingly, his grip tightening on his staff.

Jamie sighs, briefly closing his eyes. "She's dying, Jack. The doctor's aren't sure what it is exactly, but it's some kind of wasting disease."


	3. Chapter 02 ❄ Watery Depths

Jack sleeps in Jamie's old room that night, down the hall from the dying daughter - the one whose cries have been in his head for the past week or so. He's restless, and his mind keeps wandering to the young girl mere metres away from him; all the things she wouldn't be able to see, all the people she would never meet, and all because life is cruel and takes and takes and takes without remorse or compensation for what it's taking does to the lives of those affected by it. The second a cry leaves her lips, he is by her side, shushing and calming her so Jamie and Pippa can get some sleep for one night at least.

"You're alright," Jack assures, sitting on the seat beside her bed. "I know it must hurt, but you're alright right now. I promise."

Her pale blue eyes look over at Jack, her lips twitching into a smile. "You're really real. I thought you were just a story, but you're real."

"You thought I was a story, but you believed. That's the main thing."

"I'm Eira Bennett. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too." Jack sits in silence for a moment before speaking again. "Eira, how old are you?"

The dying girl smiles slightly. "I am fourteen in two months. Then I'll be the same age as Jack Frost!"

"You'll be the same age as me, eh? Maybe physically, but not in here." He points to his head. "I'm hundreds of years older than you, and I can tell you so many stories that you wouldn't believe."

"Can you tell me a story?" Eira's voice is weak as her eyes flutter shut. "So I can go to sleep?"

The young immortal tells the sick teenager of cold winter days and nights, flying through the sky and spreading snow across the continents; of the adventures with Baby Tooth, and the battle against Pitch alongside North, Tooth, Bunny and Sandy. He creates small scenes with snow and ice above Eira's bed, and she smiles up at them with delight whenever her eyes crack open. Weaving tales of magic and myth, she soon drifts off into sleep, and a thread of gold slips in through the cracked window, twirling around her head and changing into the forms of the Guardians.

Outside the window, Sandy hovers, a wide smile on his face when he sees Jack. The blue-clad boy waves in response before turning back to the dream dancing above Eira's sleeping form, finding his own eyes becoming heavy and a small yawn passing his lips. He slouches in the soft, material chair and slowly falls into a slumber, faintly catching sight of another golden stream entering the room and circling him before his consciousness fully drifts into dreamland and his body goes limp in the chair.

In his dreams, Jack sees his mother and his little sister, sitting around the wooden table in their small family hut and laughing at something he has done. He feels water dripping from his hair, and there's a wild grin on his face, delight pulsing through his mortal body. Suddenly, he's outside his former body, looking in through the window at the family bathed in a warm glow from the roaring fire, awaiting the return of the father with their meat for dinner that night. As the burly man enters with two large birds in his grasp, and a gun in the other, Jack can't help the smile that spreads across his face at the delight of the family in the small hut.

The scene changes and he's at the lake, staring up at the full moon as he sinks to the bottom - not fighting his oncoming death, and glad that he was able to save his younger sister from this fate. He turns his head and his eyes widen as he catches sight of Eira sinking beside him, her hand clasped in his and her hair a brilliant white, eyes a lively pale blue, and her skin full of colour. Her pyjamas are replaced with a pair of blue jeans and a white hoodie, her feet bared to the cold temperature. There's a smile on her young face as she looks at him, and her eyes are glimmering with happiness.

When she opens her mouth to speak, Jack is torn from his dream by the rising sun peeking in through the window. Breaths leave him in harsh spurts, and his body trembles from the onslaught of information that he just received. Looking out the window, he sees the Moon vanish from sight as the sun rises further, and knows that what he just saw was either a warning or a promise for the future that lays ahead for both Jack and Eira. The sound of the door opening breaks Jack from his thoughts, and he looks over to see Pippa standing in the doorway with a soft smile on her face.

"Good morning, Jack," she greets with a yawn, her voice thick with sleep. "That was the best night's sleep I've had in a while. Thank you for doing this. I hope you weren't awake all night."

Jack shakes his head, standing up on wobbly legs. "No. I, uh, got some sleep last night."

"But...?"

"The Moon showed me something that you and Jamie should know."

That single comment causes all the colour to drain from the physically older woman's face and grip the door frame tightly, but she doesn't vocalise what's on her mind, merely nodding and walking downstairs to the kitchen where Jamie is already sitting, sipping at his coffee. Jack sighs and heads down after her, having to hold onto the banister in order to prevent himself from falling down the stairs due to the lack of strength in his legs and the trembles still traversing his body.

Staggering into the kitchen, he feels both Jamie's and Pippa's gazes turn to him, their eyes worried to no end. Pippa helps him to a seat at the table, and Jamie watches the pair with concern, not used to seeing an immortal look so weak and helpless. As soon as Jack is seated at the table, a plate of bacon, eggs, toast and fried tomato is placed in front of him, and she is asking whether he wants juice, tea or coffee, to which Jack replies black tea. Once foot litters the table, and everyone is seated, Pippa and Jamie turn their gazes back to the young immortal picking at the food on his plate.

"Look, I appreciate the food and all, but could you not stare at me?" Jack sighs, looking up at the adults. "I know I'm a Guardian and all, but that doesn't mean I'm some mystical..thing."

Pippa nudges Jamie, and the latter clears his throat. "Jack, it's not that. You said that the moon showed you something that we should know."

"It's not just a moon, it's the Moon, but that's a discussion for another day."

They adults remain silent.

"Alright. Well, I had a dream last night - courtesy of Sandy - and everything was fine until I was sinking in the lake again, staring up at the Moon. That's when I knew that it was no longer the dream Sandy gave me. I turned my head and saw Eira sinking with me. She was healthy, but she was no longer... human."

"You're saying she's going to become a Guardian?" Pippa blurts, panic filling her voice.

Jamie shakes his head. "She's going to become immortal. There's no instant Guardian status... Is there?"

"No." Jack's reply is blunt and seemingly emotionless, but, beneath that exterior, he already cares for the dying girl. "Eira is going to die unless you let her go - let her become an immortal."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! 
> 
> Just got a few facts/helpful tips for this story.
> 
> ❄ Eira is pronounced 'AY-rah'
> 
> ❄ Her name means "snow" in Welsh (inspired by the Norse Goddess Eir)
> 
> ❄ This is not a love story
> 
> ❄ This is going to be a rather short story


	4. Chapter 03 ❄ Spring Warmth

Days blur into weeks, and the nights become colder with the rising anxiety of the Bennett family and Jack Frost as Eira's condition worsens to the degree that a simple coughing fit could end up with her coughing up blood. Christmas is right around the corner, and so is her birthday, but Jack, Jamie and Pippa are terrified that she won't make it to either of the upcoming days. Every little sound that comes from Eira's bedroom causes the young immortal Guardian to dart up to her room, worry moving like acid throughout his body.

Him worrying makes it easier on Jamie and Pippa, who get to relax now that there is someone in the house who doesn't require much sleep. It's not that they don't want to be tending to their daughter's every need, but more so that Jack refuses to let them strain and tire themselves out when they're already working day in and day out to pay for her medical bills, and the groceries, the mortgage, and all the odds and ends that comes with owning a house and being an adult in this world.

Only ten days before Christmas, Jack is sitting beside the young girl, creating story scenes with his abilities - stories of princesses and dragons and brave knights in shining armour, and of strong heroines who don't need a man to save them from peril. Eira loves them, but she prefers the stories about the Guardians, muck to Jack's delight and chagrin. He manipulates the snowing figures into that of his newfound friends and has them dance around the room, fighting off evil creatures of darkness and death and destruction as her eyes slowly close.

Sighing in relief, Jack falls back into the soft material of the chair beside Eira's bed and closes his eyes, exhaustion sweeping through his limbs and making them heavy. He hasn't slept in a few days, and it's starting to affect him - his body reacting as though he is human and hasn't slept for a day. No amount of caffeine was going to keep him awake for longer than five days straight, and that goes for any other immortal. Sleep is a necessity for any living creature - including those that are immortal and 'mythical' beings of immense power.

His dream, once again, has an immortal Eira in it. Instead of her hair being pure white like he believed, it's a soft golden colour, and her eyes are more of a pale green than a pale blue. Her former hoodie and jeans have given way to a light, light purple dress, and a pair of sandals adorn her feet. She's standing in the treeline, surrounded by blooming flowers and butterflies and bees, the grass a vibrant green contrasting to the plethora of white around her. Jack himself is standing on the frozen lake, blue eyes disbelieving of the sight before him. Above them both, the Moon shines down.

Eira opens her mouth, and this time the dream doesn't end. "Jack, you're here too?"

The immortal teen startles at her voice. "What are you talking about? Of course I'm here. This is my dream after all."

"It's mine too. Last time I was drowning and looked different, and this time I'm standing in spring when it's winter all around me."

"The Moon is trying to tell us something. You're going to be an immortal."

"I don't want to die, Jack."

"You won't, Eira. I promise. You're going to be alright."

Her pale green eyes sadden, and snow begins to creep in over the living green. "I heard you talking with Mum and Dad. The doctors don't think I'm going to make it to Christmas."

He rushes over to her and takes her hands in his, slipping slightly on the ice covered lake. "Listen to me. Even if you're no longer mortal, you're going to see Christmas. Alright?"

A brilliant smile spreads across Eira's face and the greenery around her feet flourishes, growing larger and causing Jack to release her when the warmth coming from her begins to burn him slightly. Heat and winter don't mix, and it's always been that way - it wouldn't change for just Eira and Jack. Pain flickers in her pale green eyes at not being able to touch her best friend - hug him - and the Moon's light wanes slightly, seeming to assess the situation.

Her form shifts right before Jack's eyes. The golden blonde of her hair pales to a snowy white, and the pale green of her iris' morph into a frozen, pale blue. Her purple dress and sandals shine a harsh white light, and, once it fades, a white hoodie and blue jeans are in their place, her feet once again bare. The greenery underfoot rapidly becomes layered with snow, and Eira pulls the old teenager before her into a hug, Jack's own arms coming around her to hold her against him.

Dragged from the dream by a hand landing on his shoulder, Jack jerks to alertness, springing up from the chair beside Eira's bed and grips his staff tightly, directing it at whoever woke him. Seeing both amusement and shock in Jamie's brown eyes makes Jack let out a sighing groan and relax his posture, rubbing at his hazy eyes and mumbling curses under his breath. Behind him, the young girl stirs, but remains in her dreams of dancing across a frozen lake and creating forms from snow with a wave of her hand; being free.

Jack follows the physically older male down the stairs and into the kitchen where, once more, a delicious looking breakfast awaits them. He sits down and begins to pick at the food, not being able to stomach much of it in the past few days knowing that Eira's last breath could be at any second. Near him, Jamie and Pippa watch the winter immortal with worry, unable to say anything that could take the fears of losing Eira away. They're in the same boat, but, for Jack, this is his first real friend in centuries, and he's taking it extremely hard.

"You know you don't have to keep doing this," Jack Frost mumbles, pushing a piece of bacon around the plate before picking it up and nibbling at it. His stomach turns and he places it back on the white, ceramic plate. "You're spending money you need on feeding someone who doesn't need much food in the end. Eira is more important than feeding an immortal."

Pippa shakes her head, feeling tears sting her eyes. "It's nothing of the sort. Jack, you've become like a son to us in this past week and a half."

He stares at the older woman with shock.

"I know you're over 300 years old, but you're still 14 in many ways, and you've taught us what it would be like to have a son who loves his sister unconditionally. You've helped us so much more than you could ever imagine, and you're making Eira happy by being here."

Jack looks up in the direction of Eira's room and a soft smile spreads across his child-like face. Never once has he been accepted as part of a family since he was human all those centuries ago. He has dreamt of a day where he would be thought of as a family member to someone, and that day has finally come - being like a son to the children who helped him save the world decades ago, and like an older brother to a dying teenage girl.


	5. Chapter 04 ❄ Broken Ice

Early December passes in a blur for Jack Frost and the Bennett family. Soon enough, Eira's fourteenth birthday has come, and the young girl couldn't be more ecstatic to be alive and with her family. It's a winter themed party - much to the young girl's delight - and a few of her old school friends have decided to come celebrate it, tears in their eyes as they watch their young friend slowly stagger down the stairs, Jack holding her steady until they reach the living room. There, he places her in Jamie's large, comfortable reclining chair, and places a badly wrapped present on her lap.

As everyone files into the living room and finds seats on either of the two lounges or the bean bags beside them, Eira smiles brightly at them, delight dancing in her pale green eyes. Jack can't help the warm smile that grows on his face at the childlike innocence that still remains in her, despite knowing that she is not long for this world. On the lounge beside their daughter, Pippa and Jamie have giant smiles and water-filled eyes, glad that their daughter has made it to her birthday - as a mortal, that is.

Eira turns her attention to the present on her lap and grins, looking up at the immortal beside her. "Jack, you suck at wrapping presents."

The white-haired teenager chuckles. "Well, there's never been an occasion that has called for wrapping skills." He nudges her. "Go on. Open it. You'll love it."

The brunette giggles and shakes her head before turning back to the lovingly wrapped gift. Untying the white bow from around it and placing it to the side, she assess the present before tearing the paper apart to reveal it's contents. A thick, light blue blanket spills out, free from its confines, and Eira screeches in delight, hugging it close to her chest. Jack chuckles and stands up, relieving her of the blanket and shaking it out, revealing a pristine white snowflake in the centre, surrounded by four smaller symbols in the corners of the blanket.

Eira's delighted eyes dance around the blanket. "Wow. What do the symbols mean?"

Jack grins and shakes his head. "You're joking right? A present for North, an egg for Bunny, your tooth case for Tooth, and a dream snowflake for Sandy."

"And a snowflake for your brother," Pippa chirps, drawing the eyes of everyone in the room, and making Jack flush a deep rosy colour. "Oh, Jack. Stop being surprised about this. You're our son no matter how old we get."

Jamie nods in agreement. "And you'll always be a part of this family - no matter what."

The winter immortal gives the couple a small smile and then drapes the blanket over Eira, encompassing her in warmth as she opens the remaining presents. From Alicia she gets a snow globe. In it is a small statue of Jack Frost. From Jacklyn, she receives a small journal with snowflakes on the cover, and one of those pens with glitter and liquid in them. Arisa gives the dying girl a pure white hoodie, and both Eira's and Jack's breathing stops for a split second, their eyes meeting in silent communication.

Everyone is oblivious to the moment, and to the surge of panic that courses through Jack as he slides off the arm of the reclining lounge chair and stumbles into the kitchen, a hand gripping at his white hair as he attempts to steady his breathing. From the living room, the sound of pure, unadulterated joy-filled laughter sounds, and Jack realises how truly wonderful it must be not to know Eira's fate in the end.

Minutes later Jamie walks into the kitchen to retrieve the white cake, and stops short when he sees Jack sitting on the ground in the angle of the cupboards, legs drawn up against his chest. "Jack? Jack, what's wrong?"

The immortal shakes his head. "It's nothing, Jamie."

"It's the jacket, isn't it? I saw the look you and Eira shared when she opened it."

"That's what she wears in our dreams - the white hoodie and... and the pair of jeans she is wearing today."

"Jack..."

"I have a bad feeling, Jamie."

An hour passes and the birthday party continues, but there's an aura of darkness shrouding the house that only Jack and Eira and her parents are aware of. There'd be no sense telling everyone else because they would panic and everything would go up in smoke, destroying the cheerful birthday spirit. Eira, Alicia, Jacklyn and Arisa sit in a circle on the floor around a new board game that Eira got from her parents for her birthday, giggling as they roll the dice and move the pieces around the board, each colour representing a different immortal.

In front of Eira there is a snowy domain; Alicia has one Tooth's helpers; Jacklyn has a forest with Easter eggs; and Arisa has pure golden sand. Currently, Eira is placing third, but is rapidly catching up with Arisa and Alicia, leaving Jacklyn to scramble after her. Jack snickers as another of Arisa's pieces is sent back to her home base and Eira speeds ahead, grinning widely as she removes one of Alicia's pieces as well. She cheers as her piece ends up safely in the middle section, earning playful glares from her friends. In the end, it's not the birthday girl who ends up winning, but Jacklyn who made some devious moves and removed her friends' playable pieces from the board.

Then, all hell breaks loose.

Eira sucks in a sharp breath as pain hits her fair in the chest, her hand moving to clutch tightly at her white hoodie. Her pale green eyes meet Jack's fear-filled, icy blue ones and reaches for him, his name escaping her lips in a breathy sound. He launches over to her and crouches beside her, clutching her trembling hand. Jamie and Pippa hurry over to the two in hope of doing something, but they already know that there is only one thing that can save their daughter - Jack Frost and the Man in the Moon.

"We need to get her to the pond," Jack hisses through clenched teeth. "There's nothing else that can be done. It's been decided that today is her last day."

Without further encouragement, Jamie scoops his weak daughter into his arms and hurries outside, not bothering to pull on a jacket or shoes to protect him from the snowy terrain. Pippa hesitates before forcing her feet into her boots and pulling on a dark parka, picking up her husband's as well. Jack scurries up the stairs and grabs his staff, launching himself out through Eira's window and flying through the chilled air towards where he was reborn as a Winter Spirit.

He catches sight of Jamie breaking through the tree line as he lands on the snow covered shore of the frozen pond, and grits his teeth at Eira's overly pale form. Jack carefully takes the frail girl from her father and walks to the centre of the pond, looking up to see the full moon glimmering faintly like a ghost in the clear day sky. Standing the brunette beside him, using him to hold herself up, Jack tightens his grip on his staff just as Pippa, and Eira's friends and their parents, appear beside Jamie.

Closing his eyes, Jack raises his staff off the ice and slams it down, shattering the only thing preventing himself and Eira from sinking into the icy depths below. The staff slips from his grip as they plummet into the dark water, bubbles swirling around them and the Moon seeming to be directly above, staring down onto the sinking teenagers. Jack holds Eira tightly against him, afraid to let the young girl go lest she sink to the bottom, or she doesn't become reborn as a Winter Spirit.

He stares down at her with brotherly love and tears shimmering in his soft, icy blue eyes. Slowly, Eira's own pale eyes open under the water and she looks up at him with a small smile, her green eyes searching the darkness for something. Looking up, she sees a brilliant silver Moon staring down at them, appearing to be smiling in its own way. Jack follows her gaze and looks up at the being that gave him life; a second chance in this world, and begs for his friend - no, his sister, to be saved.


	6. Chapter 05 ❄ Winter Spirit

It feels like days, hovering in the ice cold water, Eira freezing in Jack's arms, but he knows that they've only been submerged for a minute or two. Their air is running out, and she is slowly becoming unresponsive due to the frigid temperature of the water, their clothes beginning to drag them down to the sedimentary bottom of the pond. Jack finds himself struggling to fight against that force, blue eyes imploring the Moon to do something before it is too late.

As if heeding the warning in Jack's eyes, the Moon becomes more solid looking compared to its previous ghost-like state and exudes a brilliant silver light. It dips into the water and surrounds the two teenagers, Eira's eyes fluttering open at the raise in temperature of the water and filling with wonder. Jack smiles and releases the dying girl, her hand latching onto his and refusing to let him leave her alone. He shakes his head and removes his hand from hers, watching as the light encompasses Eira.

Before his very eyes, her brunette hair pales drastically into a snowy white - becoming bleached of colour and healthier. As her eyes open, the pale green of her mortal eyes becomes covered with a lively pale blue, telling all those whom she meets that she is no longer human. Her pale skin blooms with colour and health, darkening from the pasty white of death and the cold temperature to a pale pink colour that mirror's Jack's exactly. Her pale lips darken further and become a light rose in colour, but nothing in an available shade of lipstick - a unique colour just for her.

Jack swims over to the young girl and smiles down at her for a moment before forcing his way through the suffocating water. Pushing Eira up before him, she breaches the surface and clambers out, sucking in deep lungfuls of the cold winter air. Moments later, Jack himself breaks through the surface and pulls himself out, collapsing onto his back beside the reborn Eira, her long, wet, white hair shrouding her face, and her hand clenched around Jack's staff, ice covering a part of the wood on either side of where her hand lays.

"I am never doing that again," Jack groans, pushing himself upright, feet still dangling in the cold water. "Next time, you can do it yourself, Eira Bennett."

The younger girl huffs out a laugh. "Yeah, yeah. Like you'd ever let me almost drown on my own, Jack Frost. You're too much like an older brother."

He nods in agreement and takes his staff from her, standing up and then holding a hand out for her. The former brunette flushes in embarrassment but takes his hand and allows him to help her to her feet without a fuss. Flicking her soaking hair over her shoulder, she meets the worried eyes of her parents and takes off across the ice, Jack having to bite back his laughter as she almost slips over every couple of steps. Shaking his head, he follows the newly reborn girl at a walking pace across the slippery ice, stopping at the edge and looking over his shoulder at the familiar place of death and rebirth.

Once, he died here before his younger sister's eyes after saving her from his fate, and, now, he has saved another mortal from dying of a devastating wasting disease. The hole has covered over with a thick layer of ice courtesy of Jack Frost, and the only sign that both he and Eira were there are the almost frozen puddles of water scattered over the ice. Shaking his head free of the thoughts, he turns his icy gaze to the humans and Eira standing in the tree line around the pond. They look horrified by what has just passed, and there's fear shining bright in their eyes as they take in Eira's new form.

"Eira," Jack calls sharply, making the younger immortal look over at him with concern. "We may have a problem. Your friends appear to be... scared."

The white-haired teen glances over at her friends and their parents before giving Jack a reassuring smile. All the older immortal can do is watch as she walks over to them, her bare feet moving through the heaped snow with grace and ease. Stopping before them, Eira begins speaking to them, comforting them, as Jack moves over to where Jamie and Pippa still stand, their cheeks flushed and noses red from the biting cold, stepping off the ice and onto the compact, but soft, snow. Pippa instantly drags the shorter male into an almost bone-crushing hug and begins sobbing, unidentifiable words escaping amidst her crying, but Jack knows she is thanking him.

"Thank you, Jack," Jamie says lowly, his voice breaking as tears begin to escape his hazel eyes. "You saved our daughter's life, and there is nothing we can ever do to repay you."

Jack smiles at the words, but sobers almost as quickly. "You can forget about her. That's all you'll be able to do in the end."

"Jack!" Eira's horrified voice breaks through the icy tension. "That's a horrible thing to say!"

"You do realise that you can't stay here much longer, right? Once the snow melts in a few months, we have to leave, and I do not recommend coming back. It will be too painful."

"W-What?"

"You're a Winter Spirit now, and that means we have to be where it's cold. I'm sorry, Eira."

The already pale girl loses what colour she has received in her face at Jack's words, a chill sinking deep into her bones and causing a dull ache to arise. Leaving her family is something Eira has known since her first dream, but she never thought it would be so soon after she was forced to change in order to stay alive - and stay with the one she sees as her older brother. Tears begin to gather in her eyes and Jack Frost feels a pang of guilt sting his heart, instantly regretting the inadvertently harsh words that he has just spoken to the weaker girl.

Behind the white-haired girl, her friends appear to mirror the misery shining brightly in Eira's pale blue eyes, but it soon shifts to wonder as the air around their friend begins to freeze at her rising, turbulent emotions. Jack shifts his feet and watches the unpredictable girl with unease, fully aware that she has very limited control over her abilities right now. Sharp shards of ice grow around Eira's trembling body and Jack's grip on his staff tightens, not knowing whether or not he is going to have to step in to prevent the younger immortal Winter Spirit from wounding her friends and family.

"Eira," Jack calls softly, hesitantly stepping towards her.

Her head tilts back slightly and Jack feels his stomach drop at the almost dead look in her pale blue, tear-filled eyes. "You made me this, Jack Frost, and now you're about to see what you've made."


	7. Chapter 06 ❄ Dark Ice

Fear of the inability to prevent the new Winter Spirit from hurting the ones she holds dear is steadily rising in Jack Frost as he takes in the sharp shards of ice floating around the young teen hovering a good foot or two in the air. For the first time since he's become a Guardian, Jack is terrified of not being able to do something to protect the children, and not being able to save his friend - his sister - in the process. Having centuries of practice controlling his powers and manipulating the cold may give him the small boost he so desperately needs to save a young girl acting on instinct.

Tightening his hold on his staff, he realises that, by using it, he isn't allowing himself to use the full extent of his abilities. Letting out a heavy sigh, he hands Jamie his staff and focuses his full attention on the young immortal in front of him, her pale blue eyes filled with unshed tears and hear hands clenched into fists of frustration. Before him, the older Winter Spirit sees a heartbroken child with no one to turn to; someone who doesn't know how to cope with having her spirit shattered with the truth of having to leave her family.

The formed ice slices through the winter air not even a second later, not directed at any particular target, but still putting them in harm's way. Flicking his left hand, Jack easily summons a strong gust of icy wind and forces the sharp ice away from Eira's friends and family. The broken girl continues to stare at Jack for a few more seconds before her pale blue eyes darken with determination and wind swirls around her, picking up the snow at her feet and causing it to spin around her rapidly, almost obscuring Jack's view of the younger girl.

Flinging his hand forward, Jack throws a fierce gust of icy wind scatters the once swirling snow and sends the younger Winter Spirit to the compact snow on the frozen ground. Eira clambers to her feet and holds out her right hand to the side, the snow rising and forming the shape of Jack's staff before becoming compact and turning into ice. She swings it forward and almost knocks Jack off his feet with a blow of compact snows to his abdomen.

Almost being the keyword.

He flies over it easily and lands back in front of her, Eira's hands moving in a flurry the instant his feet hit the white ground, throwing snow, ice and wind at the older immortal. All Jack does is hold his arm out straight, palm facing the younger immortal, causing the attacks simply disperse once they make contact with his hand. It leaves everyone watching in shock - including Eira. The former brunette glares at her older brother figure, heartbreak glistening in her tear-filled, pale blue eyes.

"You need to stop this before someone gets hurt, Eira," Jack Frost cautions, almost pleading with the young Winter Spirit in front of him. "If someone dies, their blood will be on your hands."

She lowers her head and a shadow falls over her eyes. "I don't care. You need to see what you've made, Jack Frost."

"You don't want your friends' blood on your hands, or anyone's for that matter. It's not a nice feeling knowing that you have ended a life."

"I won't listen to your worthless rambling."

Jack grits his teeth and sighs, clenching his fists in frustration before appearing to fly through the snow. His hands wrap around Eira's wrists and ice spreads along them, causing the young girl to grit her teeth in pain. Right now, he wishes that he could share his memories with her so she is able to feel what he felt when he killed someone he knew - even accidentally. Utter misery, guilt and remorse floods his body, and it must shine brightly in his eyes because the icy fire in Eira's slowly turns into embers and cools into cold, dark coals.

As the ice recedes from her pale skin, Eira collapses into Jack's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Jack holds the younger girl against him and sighs, looking over to Jamie and Pippa. They hurry over and take Eira from Jack. Well, they attempt to. Her pale hands refuse to let him go, and she cries louder when her parents try to take her away from him. This confuses her parents greatly, but Jack understands what she is feeling perfectly.

She has attached herself to the one thing she can identify with - Jack Frost, the immortal Winter Spirit and Guardian of Fun. "Eira, you need to let me go."

"No," she cries, tightening her hold further on Jack's blue hoodie. "I won't let you go."

"Honey, we need to get home," Pippa murmurs, gently prying her daughter off her 'adopted' son. "Jack is coming back with us. I promise, sweetie."

Once Jack is free from Eira's hold, she almost screeches and attempts to claw herself free from Pippa's hold. Jamie helps his wife hold their thrashing daughter, mindful of her hands. All the older immortal can do is watch, with pain, as the younger immortal is all but dragged from the clearing, his grip tightening on his regained staff. It hurts watching her suffer, but it also hurts knowing that he was the one that, in a sense, did do this to the formerly dying girl.

His ice blue eyes watch as Eira's friends make their way back home out of the oncoming snow storm built from the raging emotions within both Winter Spirits. He can sense it within her, and also within himself: the darkness that comes with being a creature of Winter. You see, the cold months are perceived as dark and dreary by mortals, and that leads to those created for the winter months to gain traits of that perceived darkness.

Jack Frost - the first true Winter Spirit - can only help Eira Bennett control the darkness within her; not erase it entirely. After all, there is no way to rid oneself of the darkness that inhabits all living beings - they are all agathokakological in the end, and there's no escaping one's dark or light. He found that out the hard way over the centuries, and he doesn't wish for her to find out the same way he did - he had no one to teach him that, but she does.

It doesn't take him long to reach the Bennett household, and nor does it take him long to hear the cries of their daughter - begging for Jack. The white-haired boy walks into the house, his light steps not making a sound on the floor as he scurries up the stairs to his companion's room. He hesitates in the doorway, seeing Jamie and Pippa holding their still thrashing daughter as still as possible on the bed, but ultimately gives in and walks over to her, watching as the adults slowly release her.

She springs up instantly, latching onto his blue hoodie. "Jack."

His arms wrap around her and he holds her trembling body cradled against his. "It's alright, Eira. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you that yet."

"I don't want to leave, Jack. I want to stay."

"I know you do, but we don't have a choice. We both know better than anyone that Summer, Spring and Autumn don't mix well with Winter - no matter what we do. Snow doesn't mix with the heat."

"What happened to her out there, Jack?" Pippa asks in a small voice, Jamie's arm around her. "She just... snapped."

Jack briefly closes his eyes, and he becomes completely serious. "It's called "Dark Ice" by Immortals, and only those who are deemed "Winter Spirits," such as myself and Eira, have the ability to wield it properly. Most aren't aware of its existence, and that's good. If news of it existing fell into the wrong hands, this planet could die."

"Is that what you used against Pitch?" Jamie pipes up, a mixture of apprehension and delight in his brown eyes.

"Yeah, and it wasn't the first time I had used it."


End file.
